Is this sentence with "whether" correct? - English Language Learners Stack Exchangemost recent 30 from ell.stackexchange.com2019-09-15T10:02:45Zhttps://ell.stackexchange.com/feeds/question/209927https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/rdfhttps://ell.stackexchange.com/q/2099270Is this sentence with "whether" correct?Antonio Contehttps://ell.stackexchange.com/users/593512019-05-09T08:01:32Z2019-05-09T08:50:32Z
<p>Is this sentence grammatically correct?</p>
<p>It is usually locals who carve graffiti on the walls <strong>, whether it is the date they came to visit or the love they have for each other.</strong></p>
<p>I checked the meaning of whether and this is the closest thing I found:</p>
<p><a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/linking-words-and-expressions/whether" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/linking-words-and-expressions/whether</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>We often use whether … or not to mean ‘it’s not important if’ or ‘it
doesn’t matter if’. We don’t use either in this way:</p>
<p>He always said what he thought, whether it was polite or not.</p>
<p>Not: … either it was polite or not.</p>
<p>We can use whether … or not in front or end position with this
meaning. We use it in orders or commands:</p>
<p>Whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to look after your
sister.</p>
<p>(or You’re going to have to look after your sister, whether you like
it or not.)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But I don't want to say "it is not important" and I certainly did not want to give a command.
I just wanted to bring two examples.</p>
https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/209927/-/209931#209931-1Answer by Ronald Sole for Is this sentence with "whether" correct?Ronald Solehttps://ell.stackexchange.com/users/413562019-05-09T08:47:09Z2019-05-09T08:47:09Z<p>The only issue I would find with your sentence is the use of <strong>it is</strong>.</p>
<p>Although the word <strong>graffiti</strong> can be used both as a singular or plural, you are clearly using it as a plural (<strong>graffiti on walls</strong>). </p>
<p>So the <strong>it is</strong> that follows would have to refer to the habit of carving (or otherwise marking) graffiti rather than the graffiti themselves.</p>
<p>You could avoid this awkwardness by amending your sentence to read:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is usually locals who carve graffiti on the walls, whether the date they came to visit or their love for each other</p>
</blockquote>
<p>AS an article in Wikipedia points out, there is also the formal singular form <strong>graffito</strong> which, it says, is not often used outside of archaeological circles.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti</a> </p>
https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/209927/-/209932#2099320Answer by Astralbee for Is this sentence with "whether" correct?Astralbeehttps://ell.stackexchange.com/users/663252019-05-09T08:47:40Z2019-05-09T08:47:40Z<p>"Whether" has a <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/whether" rel="nofollow noreferrer">secondary usage</a> which is to introduce two or more possibilities, for example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I'm going, whether they like it or not.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Your example is saying that locals often carve graffiti on the walls, and that graffiti is <em>either</em>:</p>
<ul>
<li>the date</li>
<li>an expression of love</li>
</ul>
https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/209927/-/209933#2099331Answer by Ian for Is this sentence with "whether" correct?Ianhttps://ell.stackexchange.com/users/915402019-05-09T08:50:32Z2019-05-09T08:50:32Z<p>The sentence you give, is fine.</p>
<p>To understand how the "Whether" is used, begin with the common construction "whether....or not". This just makes a framework for listing alternatives, to draw a contrast between them. But usually it is not important which of the alternatives is chosen.</p>
<p>"I'll eat the sandwich, whether it's jam or cheese" - either way, I'll be filled up.
"All the trains go to London, whether they leave from this platform or the other" - you still get to where you wanted.</p>
<p>"It is usually locals who carve graffiti on the walls , whether it is the date they came to visit or the love they have for each other." - The building is still damaged, whatever the message scratched on the walls. The point here, is that it's the impact on the building and the environment which is important to the subject you write about; that does not mean the love affair cannot be important to those concerned.</p>